Social drama in the context of political anthropology: The closure of Instagram

Year 2025, Issue: 50, 48 - 59, 30.06.2025

Cemre Aydoğan

https://doi.org/10.33613/antropolojidergisi.1607688

Abstract

The aim of this study is to examine how the closure of social media platforms generates social tensions within the context of populist politics. The brief shutdown of Instagram in Turkey (August 2-10, 2024) serves as a case to understand transformations in social values and emerging societal polarizations. Utilizing Victor Turner’s social drama model, this study addresses how these social cases create states of polarization within society, gathering individuals around two opposing poles and legitimizing populist discourse. The study discusses how Instagram functions both as a status symbol and a tool for excluding the “other,” while also considering how questioning the platform’s functionality reshapes social norms. In this context, the effects of populism on social structure are analyzed through the lens of social drama.

Keywords

populism , social drama , Instagram , access restriction

Siyasal antropoloji bağlamında sosyal drama: Instagram’ın kapatılması

Abstract

Bu çalışmanın amacı sosyal medya platformlarının kapatılmasıyla popülist siyasetin toplumda nasıl bir gerilim yarattığını incelemektir. Türkiye’de Instagram'ın kısa süreliğine kapanması (2-10 Ağustos 2024), toplumsal değerlerin dönüşümünü ve toplumda meydana gelen kutuplaşmaları anlamak için örnek teşkil etmektedir. Victor Turner’ın sosyal drama modeli kullanarak tasarlanan bu çalışma, bu sosyal tarz olayların toplumda nasıl kutuplaşma halleri yaratıp bireyleri iki kutup etrafında topladığını ve popülist söylemin nasıl meşruiyet kazandığını ele almaktadır. Çalışma, Instagram’ın hem bir statü göstergesi hem de “ötekiyi” dışlama aracı olarak nasıl kullanıldığını, aynı zamanda platformun işlevselliğinin sorgulanarak toplumsal normların yeniden şekillendiğini tartışır. Bu bağlamda, popülizmin toplumsal yapıya olan etkileri sosyal drama perspektifiyle analiz edilmiştir.

Keywords

popülizm , sosyal drama , Instagram , erişim engeli

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